This invention relates generally to apparatus for peeling fruits and vegetables. More particularly, it relates to apparatus for removing the skin from such fruits and vegetables on which the skin has already been loosened by immersion in a hot liquid solution. In a typical process of this nature the fruit, which may typically include apricots, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, tomatoes, potatoes or other types, is initially immersed in a hot caustic solution, which causes the peel to be loosened from the flesh of the fruit but not removed from it. The treated fruit conventionally is then carried past a number of strong jets of water that flush the loosened peel from the fruit. While this procedure is effective, it produces large volumes of waste liquid containing the water from the jets, the pieces of peel and traces of the caustic solution. This waste liquid presents disposal and pollution problems that are becoming unacceptable for commercial operations.